Dawes Elementary School

Dawes Elementary School, a modestly sized elementary campus in Evanston, Illinois, operated by Evanston CCSD 65, educates 298 students, covering grades K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 22% smaller than the state mean of about 381.

Across the 16 schools in Evanston CCSD 65 (6,136 students total), Dawes Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, Dawes Elementary School logs that the most-represented group is White (30%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 29% Hispanic, 26% Black, 9% multiracial, 4% Asian. By comparison, Cook County as a whole is about 44% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, Dawes Elementary School lists 29 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 10.4:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.9:1, putting Dawes Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 48% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Cook County runs at roughly 66%, so the school's eligibility rate is somewhat below the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, Dawes Elementary School is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 44.0%; this one delivers 59.0%, a residual of +15.0 points.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Cook County) logs that median household income runs about $83,498, 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. Across Cook County's 1406 public schools (combined enrollment of about 697,934 students), Dawes Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Chute Middle School, around 0.4 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Dawes Elementary School at 3rd of 9; the average score across the group is 53.9%.

The school occupies a city-core site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 22%: 380 students in 2018 compared to 298 in 2025. The White share of enrollment grew from 23% to 30% over that span. Class-load math has tightened: from 12.1:1 in 2018 to 10.4:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Dawes Elementary School community share and discuss classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.